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Best Spots For LGBT Arts And Culture In Seattle

June 11, 2012 6:00 AM

(credit: Thinkstock)

Nestled between the clear, blue waters of Puget Sound and the Cascade Mountains, Seattle has a thriving LGBT community. Seattle is known for its music, art and coffee. The GLBT portion is part of this greater community, and its culture and arts are showcased in the annual PrideFest held in June. In addition to PrideFest, the city offers many opportunities to experience the diversity of culture and local arts in the community.

Pride Fest is a celebration of art, culture and music for the Seattle GLBT community. It is an event to share and encourage cultural diversity, embracing all sexual orientations. Events for PrideFest happen all week, and LGBT businesses will also be hosting special events during this time. As for PrideFest, the event starts with Pride Feast on Friday, June 23, and Saturday is a day for various pride parties. However, Sunday is the big function and starts with the Pride Parade through downtown Seattle and ends with PrideFest at the Seattle Center. PrideFest is a showcase of culture, music and the arts, and runs from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. For a complete list of events and performers, check the PrideFest website.

The motto of the Fremont Solstice Parade and Fair is “De Libertas Quirkas,” meaning the Freedom to be Peculiar. The fair kicks-off with the Solstice Parade. The Rainbow City Band will be marching, along with other groups and floats. The festivities are eccentric, and filled with creative flair that will impress all attendees. The fair offers artist booths and includes four stages for Seattle’s leading entertainers in the popular music scene. Other entertainment will include dance troupes and more. A map of the complete venue can be seen here.

“The Bronze Age: Group Exhibition” will be showing June 7 through June 30. This show is organized by Pratt Fine Arts School, and showcases bronze sculptures created by students, renters and instructors in Pratt’s Sculpture Studio. The show is a modern look at the Bronze Age and its beauty in the modern world. The exhibit will be open to the public, and Tashiro Kaplan Studios is a GLBT-friendly venue.

This downtown lesbian bar is filled with a fun and festive atmosphere, but is also well known for its wet t-shirt contests, karaoke and sports on the big screen. Wildrose hosts numerous live musical performances, and last year during pride week, visitors enjoyed a performance by Jamie Nova. These performers are all GLBT advocates and many are part of the community themselves. Last year, the tavern held a Pride Trivia night. Check the website to see if this will become an annual cultural event.

Located in the heart of the Capitol Hill neighborhood, Espresso Vivace Roasteria is considered one of the best coffeehouses in Seattle. The cafe’s history is painted on its signature, curved Italian stand-up bar, with espresso coffee as the pigment, depicting its 20-year history on Capitol Hill. Besides great coffee, the cafe is a friendly meeting place for the LGBT community, where the baristas know the clientele by name. It is a great gathering place for all members or supporters to go for their next cup of joe.

Karen Ulvestad is a mother and professional writer/photographer, who lives in the greater Seattle area. She graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in English Composition. Her background is in fitness, travel, photography and writing. She continually researches locations to visit, and/or entertainment opportunities for family outings and/or photo shoots. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.